I am so sorry for the inconvenience and not advising you of that sooner.

I have to admit I am behind on posting on that blog site too. I plan on making a post though, very soon!

I have so much to share with you. Not only has my blog moved onto my website but my cows have moved to our new farm too. (Just up the road from our previous farm)

Why the move you ask? Well, we have made the decision to transition to Organic Farming. We are about half way there (It takes about 3 years to transition). We are really excited for our last half!

As you can imagine we have been so very busy with this move and transition so please be patient…I can’t wait to share with you all of our goings on.

My Mom always had a saying growing up…”The ones you love the most are the ones that often get neglected…” I feel that is so true with my Blog and it’s followers AKA “Godd-etts” I promise I am going to try to be better. I truly love blogging and I love each of you!

Wow…here we are February 2015. I can not believe that my last post was on 4/29/14. I am so sorry that I have been away from my blog for so long. As I have said before, I love blogging. I believe that blogging gave me the confidence to start Dairy Goddess Farmstead Cheese and Milk. I never would believe that it would continue to grow and become what it has today. I am still running the dairy and Dairy Goddess. I am spread very thin and so the time for blogging has been difficult. 2014 was a great and exciting year. So many wonderful changes have blessed our life. I will break down the past year to get you up to speed.

January 2014 – After 2 months of marriage, my daughter Tara, also my right hand in running the daily business of Dairy Goddess found out that she and her husband Shane would be having a baby. My first grand child. I can not tell you the joy this brought to all of us. I was craving a new baby to bless us and the start of the 5th generation on our farm.

February 2014- We began making our California Style Curds in Plain and Seasoned. They are great as a snack and they melt beautifully and make a great addition to your favorite “cheesy” recipes.

March 2014- We began raising free range chickens! What started out as a hobby for Tony, he LOVES little chicks, actually any baby critter steals his heart. He kept bring home little chicks and we all know what happens…they grow up…. Dairy Goddess Farmstead Eggs was born…”We love’m like our Cows”

April 2014- Tony and I celebrated our 31st Wedding Anniversary. We also found out the our 1st grandchild was going to be a GIRL!

May 2014- We got our 3rd Refrigeration van, or as I like to call it…Chariot for Dairy Goddess to transport her goodness!

June 2014- A.J. finds out that he was accepted as a transfer student for Veterinarian Medicine at Oklahoma State University. We were all so thrilled that he would be closer to home. We knew at that moment that we would be able to go and visit which we did in October for OSU’s homecoming. What a blast that was and we were so lucky to get to go with my cousins, the Walton’s. Their son Brandon is completing his undergrad there.

July 2014- Dairy Goddess Farmstead Cheese wins 1st place in the flavored-fresh cheese category for our “Valley” (Peaches, Almonds, & Honey) Fromage Blanc, at the American Cheese Society Awards in Sacramento, CA. What an honor! To win among the many other great entries made us so very proud.

August 2014- Dairy Goddess celebrated it’s 4th year in business.

September 2014- It was all hustle and bustle for Dairy Goddess as we prepared for Tara and Shane’s baby to arrive. Tara does so much for DG so we needed our ducks in a row. We were all getting so excited to meet Baby Girl Rodrigues!

October 2014- Finally on the 8th of October, God blessed us with our newest Little Goddess, Delilah Dolores Rodrigues. She was perfect. She completely stole our hearts and is the very center of our life.

November 2014- It was only a month after Delilah joined our clan but we had prepared and completed a 3rd Party Audit for Dairy Goddess Farmstead Cheese and Milk. It was a two day inspection to make sure we are doing everything possible to bring our customers the best quality products produced in compliance of the state and major store chains. We also decided to upgrade our website and invite you to take a look at it. We are very proud of how it turned out.

December 2014- I had made the tough decision to leave my Board of Director seat for the California Milk Advisory Board I loved serving the dairy farmers in California. It was important to me to be a voice for my fellow dairymen and to do my best to direct that our milk marketing dollars were being spent thoughtfully and assuring their hard earned money was being put to good use to market the milk that they produce. As Dairy Goddess has grown I realized that I would not be able to give 100 percent to that seat’s responsibility. We had a beautiful dinner and so many kind words were said and I truly felt appreciated for the 6 years that I had served.

January 2015- We started 2015 with a bang! We baptized our sweet Delilah and then were off to San Francisco for the Winter Fancy Food Show this is the largest food and beverage show on the West Coast. It was amazing and felt very successful. We could not believe how many fabulous products from around the world that were there and how large the show itself was. We were proud to be a part of it.

One of my New Years Resolutions is to blog more…I promise to work on that. I love sharing our life with you. I appreciate you taking the time to visit this blog and my website. I would love for you to like my Facebook Page too. That is a quick way to stay in touch with our latest shenanigans!

One last thought. We are still in a terrible drought here in California. We have had a bit of rain and hoping for a wet February. We ask for you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as all of Agriculture in California is suffering and if we do not get rain and also reform for water in this state it will affect us all. This drought is truly a crisis.

I thought I would share with you many of the Frequently Asked Questions at my markets and by my many store customers. I am always happy to answer any questions anyone has. If there is not one answered here…please just let me know.

Hope to see you soon!

Barbara

FAQ for Dairy Goddess Farmstead Cheese & Milk

Are you organic?

We practice primarily organic though not certified

Are the cows grass-fed?

We have a nutritionist that works weekly with my husband to formulate the best diet for our cows. They use the corn and wheat and alfalfa we grow on our farm. They also get fresh citrus, almond, and other nutrients that are mixed fresh twice daily.

Are your cows happy?

Of course! Our whole goal is to create our animals comfort and well-being. Not only morally…but a happy cow makes more milk.

Are your cows confined?

We raise our cows in open corrals with shades available to them. On hot days they have soakers and misters to cool them and on hot days they have warm water for their wash up.

Do you remove the calves from their mothers?

They spend a few hours or longer with their calves (calves are up and walking almost immediately) and then the calves are placed in their private pen so that they will not be exposed to dangers. We also can better monitor them to make sure they are eating and drinking. They are monitored for about 45 to 60 days when they are moved to age appropriate group pens.

Do you raise your bull calves?

Yes we do

Do your cows have hormones?

All mammals have natural hormones but we do not supplement them with Rbst

Is there antibiotics in your milk?

Our milk as in all milk is tested numerous times as in compliance with the government and our cooperatives. Cheese will not make if there are antibiotics SO of course we do not!

Do you treat your cows with antibiotics?

Yes. Only if necessary. As we did with ourselves and our children. They are often similar medications. We have a “hospital” pen where they are monitored and the milk for the ill cows is discarded.

One thing I truly love about my business is all of the wonderful people that we get to meet and all of the things that we learn. In our Templeton, CA Farmers Market (on Saturdays 9-1pm). A very nice lady shared with my “Little Goddesses” a wonderful Eastern European dish called “Paskha” a Cheese Spread that she now makes with Dairy Goddess Fromage Blanc “Naked”. Being of Portuguese decent we have many traditional recipes but I am so happy to share this one that our sweet customer shared with us.

She so kindly sent me a lovely note and pictures as well as a couple of recipes. Not only do I appreciate the recipe and kind words but I am so touched at the time she took to send it to me and asked that I share it with the girls. With that I decided to share it with all of my “Godd-etts”. I am using her recipe and also picture that she shared. THANK YOU very “MOOOOOch” Nancy J.!

Happy Easter to you and yours! God Bless You All!

Happy Easter Treat! Easter Paskha

1 lb of Dairy Goddess “Naked” Fromage Blanc

1/2-3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of good butter

1/2 cup of cream

1/3 cup of ground almonds

1`tsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla

Combine first four ingredients with mixer of food processor. Place in mixing bowl and add the last three ingredients and mix well. Taste for sweetness! (More sugar?)

*Prepare a bowl or a clean terra-cotta flower-pot, lined with a double layer of cheesecloth, (enough to cover the top).

Place the mixture in the *bowl, cover with the cheesecloth, place a plate over this and put on a heavy stone or can. Refrigerate up to 12 hours.

To un-mold, invert bowl over the serving plate, remove cheesecloth, decorate. I use blanched almonds in a design. Great for a lovely Easter Breakfast. You may need to double the recipe.

I can not believe it has been since November that I have last posted. I ask it often and asking again, “Where does the time go?” I guess we know the answer…it is from being busy. That is a good thing.
My daughter’s wedding was such a wonderful life event. I felt it could not get better than that, but, well it did when they told Tony and I that we are going to be GRANDPARENTS! We are thrilled and live and pray daily to meet this lil’ guy OR gal. (I can’t wait till they find out)!

Don’t think we have been lolli-gaggin’ though…we have been busy as bees! We are just introducing three more cheeses that we are very proud of. Our Mexi-Mozzarella, Goddess Feta and a dreamy Teleme.

We are also just testing out our Vanilla Milk! It is AMAZING and can’t wait to make it available to the masses! It’s ALL natural. No food coloring. Only Whole Milk, Vanilla and Pure Cane Sugar. Perfect for cereal and coffee. I love it cold and straight from the bottle.

I have missed my blogging very much. I miss writing and sharing. I am better with my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/dairygoddesscheese . That is not to say that I don’t LOVE blogging but often those things you love the most get a little neglected so I promise to try to work on that.

I love my lil’ Godd-ett’s!

As always if you have any questions, please let me know. I am happy to answer them!

After a year and a half of planning…my daughter Tara celebrated her wedding to Shane Rodrigues on November 2, 2013. It was a perfect day. We could not be any more happy. We managed to run business as usual and Dairy Goddess Farmstead Cheese and Milk as well as Tony Martin Dairy continued with out a hitch. It took a team effort and prayer and we got it done. We appreciate all of the well wishes that we received and are grateful to all of our customers blessings and support.

The Original Team Dairy Goddess

Along with getting back to reality I want to get back to my blog which has taken the back seat through all of this.

It is no secret that I believe that we need to take our food back “old school”. Less processing, more natural. Keeping the integrity of the food that we consume for maximum benefit, the way it was intended.

My cousin, Anita Caole, shared with me the Margarine VS Butter information. I thought it was fitting as we are getting towards the holidays with extra cooking and baking. We should be striving towards more WHOLE and NATURAL foods with everything in moderation. We have been on a dangerous path with the “mutilation” of food by processing. Read your labels….less is more! Besides, it just tastes better! I hope you find this information helpful. Please pass it on…many of us do not have any idea!

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings….

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end…gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease …

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

I drink whole milk and eat full-fat yogurt, cream cheese, and sour cream. Sure, full-fat dairy products taste better than the skim/fat-free versions, but I don’t eat them for the taste. I eat full-fat dairy because it’s better for my health and my weight.

Yep, you heard me right: I eat dairy products with all the fat god gave ‘em, and I do it because it’s good for me.

Here’s why:

1. Our bodies cannot digest the protein or absorb the calcium from milk without the fat.

2. Vitamins A and D are also fat-soluble. So you can’t absorb them from milk when all the fat has been skimmed off. (This makes fortified skim milk the biggest sham of all — you can pump fat-free milk full of a year’s supply of vitamins A and D, but the body can’t access them).

4. Contrary to popular belief, low-fat and fat-free diets do not help prevent heart disease, and science has now revealed that the link between saturated fat (long villainized as a cause of heart disease) and heart disease is tenuous at best.

5. In fact, studies now show that eating saturated fat raises good cholesterol — the kind of cholesterol you want and need in your body.

6. The world’s healthiest foods are whole foods — foods that have not been processed. Why? The nutrients in whole foods have a natural synergy with one another — that is, they work best in and are most beneficial to the body when they are taken together (not when they are isolated in, say, beta-carotene supplements of Vitamin C capsules). So when you pull some or all of the fat out of milk, you throw its nutritional profile out of whack. Basically, you discard all of the health benefits when you discard the fat.

7. And last but definitely not least: healthy dietary fat will NOT make you fat. We’ve been taught for years that dietary fat is the root of all evil. But we need healthy fat in our diet for proper body composition and long-term weight maintenance. The key factor here is knowing the difference between good fats and bad fats (for more on good and bad fats and the role healthy fat plays in weight maintenance..

A final note: When it comes to whole milk, you should also drink nonhomogenized when you can. Homogenization is “the technique of crushing milkfat globules into droplets too small to rise to the surface in a cream layer,” writes Anne Mendelson in Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages (Knopf, 2008). Homogenization offered two big advantages to the dairy industry: (1) the abolition of the “creamline,” as it’s called, made it possible to package milk in more convenient [read: disposable] cardboard packaging instead of traditional glass bottles and (2) homogenizing made it possible for a commercial dairy to “calculate the amount of fat in incoming milk, completely remove it, and homogenize it back into milk in any desired proportion…In effect, ‘whole milk’ could now be whatever the industry said it was.”

To put it more bluntly: homogenized whole milk isn’t whole. The dairy-processing industry decided that whole milk should be milk with 3.25% fat (raw milk straight from the cow averages between 4 – 5.5% fat). That way, no matter what cow produced the milk, after homogenization all the milk would taste the same.

When you buy homogenized milk, you’re buying a whole food that isn’t whole — it’s had it’s fat removed, evened out, and injected back into it in an amount less than what appears in nature. So choose whole milk, skip homogenization, and enjoy!
By Laine Bergeson, Experience Life